Upon arrival at Brisbane, transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight Stay in Brisbane.

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Day 2

Brisbane (Culture & River Cruising)

Breakfast at the hotel. Begin your day in downtown Brisbane, a mix of gracious old buildings, sleek skyscrapers and grassy parks. Browse the heritage arcades and 500-plus stores on Queen Street Mall, the city’s shopping hub. Check out the elegant former Treasury Building, learn about the city’s history at Brisbane City Hall and get a bird’s eye view from the Museum of Brisbane tower. Wind through the exotic, sub-tropical vegetation of the City Botanic Gardens. After the morning tour, take the ferry to South Bank for lunch in a riverside restaurant or a picnic in the gardens. Swim in the lagoon or submerge yourself in culture at the Queensland Cultural Centre. Stay on after dusk for a ferris wheel ride overlooking the city’s glittering sprawl. Or return in your evening finery for a blockbuster musical, cutting-edge play or a performance of opera, orchestra or ballet at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Overnight in your preferred hotel.

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Day 3

Brisbane (Fortitude Valley)

Start your day to Fortitude Valley, where the once-gritty streets have been gentrified but still retain their vibrant, bohemian flair, then browse the funky boutiques or check out local designers at the weekend markets. In nearby New Farm, you can relax on the shady lawn of New Farm Park or explore the converted industrial spaces of the Powerhouse arts centre. In the afternoon cruise up and down the river, hopping off for lunch at pelican-lined Bretts Wharf or historic Bulimba. From the city take a bus to Mt Coot-tha Lookout, where views extend across Brisbane to Moreton Bay and the Glasshouse Mountains. Visit the subtropical Botanic Gardens where the themed sections include a scented garden, bamboo grove, arid zone with a cactus garden, Japanese Gardens, waterfalls, tropical greenhouse and the largest collection of Australian native rainforest trees in the world. In the evening, head back to Fortitude Valley and experience its famous nightlife. Dine out in Chinatown, then check out the pumping live music venues and bars and clubs which range from elegant to edgy. Overnight in your preferred hotel.

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Day 4

Brisbane (Moreton Island)

Early check out at the hotel. Take a fast catamaran to Moreton Island, which is one of the world’s largest sand islands and mostly national park. Explore the beaches, sparkling lagoons and rocky headlands on one of the many walking trails. Trek to Blue Lagoon or Honeyeater Lake, where you can swim and spot flocks of waterbirds. Hike to Cape Moreton and see Queensland’s first lighthouse, built in 1857 from island sandstone. Spot migrating whales from here between June and November. Snorkel with more than a hundred species of coral at Flinders Reef or dive the rusted Tangalooma Wrecks with rainbow fish. Toboggan down the world’s largest sand dune at Mt Tempest or join a quad-biking tour across the island. Hand feed the wild bottlenose dolphins who swim up to Tangalooma Beach every evening, then sleep under the stars in one of the many camping grounds. Alternatively, return to Brisbane for a night, Overnight in your preferred hotel.